Sony, Samsung and LG All Launching Nexus Devices?

The annual arrival of Google's next flagship Android phone might be even more exciting than usual this year, with sources claiming there will be more than one hardware maker producing Google next Nexus.

The new comes via a product listing for Japanese network DoCoMo, which mentions three Nexus models for release later this year; an Xperia Nexus from Sony, an Optimus Nexus from LG and the Galaxy Nexus II from reliable old Samsung. This would be quite a turnaround, with Google traditionally picking the most on-form phone maker of the day to produce its flagship Nexus. HTC made the Nexus One for Google, then Samsung took over to produce the Nexus S, followed by the Galaxy Nexus a year later.

In separate Nexus developments, a Samsung phone using the model number GT-I9260 has been spotted, which would appear to be part of the Nexus series and may well be the Nexus II mentioned above. The phone features an updated 8-Megapixel camera, boosted from the Galaxy Nexus' 5MP sensor, plus a 4.65" Super AMOLED display that has gained an "HD" tag at the end. The processor's also been notched up too, with the GT-I9260 featuring a 1.5GHz dual-core chipset.